


You Are My Sunshine

by mollieblack



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), The Truman Show (1998)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Truman Show Fusion, Angst, Cute Dan Howell/Phil Lester, Dancing, First Kiss, Florist Phil Lester, Flowers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Language of Flowers, Loss, M/M, Original Character(s), Phanfiction, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Star-crossed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 00:06:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11024424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mollieblack/pseuds/mollieblack
Summary: Dan doesn't know, but his entire life is a TV show. He's preparing to marry a girl his family/the show has chosen for him, when he goes to meet the florist for their wedding, who unintentionally throws everything awry.(Truman Show AU - Not necessary to know the movie to understand the fic)aka the fic where Phil is LITERALLY a ray of sunshine... ok well not literally. but as close as you can get.





	1. There's Sunshine in Your Smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Note for all of you, internet doesn't exist within this show, as to control Dan's knowledge of the world, so Dan doesn't even know of the internet.*

Dan wracked his brain for every detail of knowledge he had when it came to Daisy. Because of her name, he felt as if choosing the flowers for their wedding wouldn't bee too difficult, but he still wanted an expert's opinion, and that was why he was on his way to the florist's shop he'd never bothered to visit before.

It wasn't that Dan didn't like flowers, in fact he actually had a strong fondness towards them, it was just that they were always around. People were always giving him flowers, he didn't really know why, but he just knew that they were everywhere. They were in every shop window, outside every home. The small coastal town he lived on could have been a fucking ad for a botany magazine.

Dan smiled as he thought of how lucky he was to live here. He'd heard of how the rest of the world was at war and this was somewhat of a miraculous safe haven, kept secluded and safe by the cliffs on one side and the water on the other. They were mostly self-sufficient, only relying on very occasional shipments of goods, and otherwise they didn't interact with the outside world which apparently had been in a hugely destructive and dangerous war since Dan was only a child. Somehow, this place had stayed pristine and perfect. Everything had its place, everything was in order, and the people were so genuine and kind. 

Dan didn't know how he had gotten so lucky with the people. He wasn't hugely social, but he was constantly being invited out with groups, even groups of people he'd barely even met before. Everyone seemed to like him, and things just tended to go his way. He felt guilty about it sometimes, but then remembered that it wasn't like he was _trying_ to get any kind of special treatment, it just happened. Somehow, despite him being a bit of a natural loner, everyone knew his name and seemed to love him. This made Dan want nothing more than to try and repay them by living up to whatever they wanted from him.

Dan tried to stay true to himself, but he did have a huge sense of guilt whenever he felt he had failed someone, and he was constantly trying to repay people for their kindness and to do what he thought he was supposed to, to make people happy.

That was why, one week ago after dinner with his parents and a long talk about his future, he had decided to propose to Daisy, a girl they had always said would make a good wife for Dan. They had set up playdates for them throughout preschool which was easy since Daisy lived just down the road, and as they grew older, Dan and her had began dating after some encouragement from their parents.

He did like her, they got along well and she was fun and nice. She was beautiful too, long flowing blonde hair and green eyes, full lips and pink cheeks. And that's what love was, right? Finding someone you enjoyed spending time with who you found physically attractive? Dan supposed it was, so when his parents asked him when he was going to settle down, he went out and bought a ring that the jeweler gave him at a hugely reduced cost (not something Dan was unused to), and proposed to her that night after cooking her dinner. 

She had cried and hugged and kissed him lightly. He had smiled, and then she had gone home and he had gone back to his own small house, falling asleep alone and beginning to create a mental checklist of what he needed to do to prepare for this wedding.

Today he was checking one of the things off the list. He was going to finally meet whatever wizard kept this town looking like a beautiful garden, and hire them as his florist for he and Daisy's wedding. 

As Dan walked, he took out a small remote and hit a button to connect it to the little machine in his ear. Everyone had one, and you could use it to make phone calls or to play music. Right now, Dan opted for the second option, finding a radio station that was playing some nice background music so he had something to listen to as he walked. 

When Dan approached the flower shop, he noted the name, laughing slightly. ' ** _You've Got to be Orchidding me'_** the sign read, with a little painting of an orchid next to it. Dan pushed the door open into the quaint shop, hearing a few little bells dingle from the door's movement.

He looked around the shop, and his eyes came to rest on a tall boy standing behind the cash register at the counter, leafing through seed packets. The boy looked up at him and smiled, piercing blue eyes holding Dan's own, and Dan felt a smile cross his face as he walked up to the counter.

"Hi... my name is Dan." Dan said, holding his arm out for a handshake. The boy with the jet black hair fumbled the seed packets, trying to fit them into one hand but dropping two on the floor, crouching down to pick them up and then depositing them all on the counter before he met Dan's handshake.

"Sorry. Clumsy. I'm Phil." Dan smiled as he saw Phil blush.

"Alright, Phil, are you the owner of this place?" 

"That'd be me!" Phil confirmed, proudly. 

"Well, I just got engaged and I was hoping I could convince you to be the florist?" Dan asked, hopefully.

"Of course! Congratulations!" Dan smiled the customary smile, as Phil continued. "Well... what's this girl like?" Phil asked, and Dan had to stop to think.

"I don't know... she's nice." Phil raised an eyebrow. 

"That's real specific, Dan, thanks." He said sarcastically, and Dan laughed at himself.

"Sorry. Um... her name's Daisy so I was thinking daisies, but then I don't know... is that too predictable?" 

"Maybe a bit... though the meaning does tie well into a wedding."

"The meaning?" Dan asked, curious what the boy in front of him meant.

"Well... daisies represent innocence and purity. They convey loyal love, a good thing in a marriage." Dan nodded, listening to Phil's description. 

"Wow... I had no idea flowers had much meaning to them." Dan thought out loud, realizing it was a good thing he had come to an expert. 

"Of course they do! Every flower has a meaning! Some are better suited for weddings than others though.... I think you'll want to look for one of these..." he began to walk down rows of flowers, pointing them out as he explained their meanings to Dan who watched and listened in amazement, marveling at this boy's knowledge and passion of the flowers surrounding them.

"Calla lilies are kind of the perfect wedding flower, they represent magnificence and beauty, and white Calla Lillies also represent purity and innocence. Hydrangeas mean heartfelt emotions or gratitude for being understood, but they can also have negative meanings like frigidity and heartlessness. I'm sure at a wedding it wouldn't be interpreted that way, though. White Carnations represent innocence and pure love, but just don't pick out a striped one, because that means refusal. White Chrysanthemums mean truth and loyal love.

"There's also a language to flowers, and some have meanings that are more like phrases... for instance a Yellow Tulip means 'there's sunshine in your smile'." Dan looked up at Phil, amazed at how much he knew about plants, and in wonder that there actually was a language of flowers? He smiled as he looked up, and felt his dimples forming on his cheeks, laughing a bit. Phil smiled back before he continued.

"So yes, Yellow Tulip is 'there's sunshine in your smile', Primrose could be good for a wedding, it means 'I can't live without you'," None of these seemed quite right to Dan, and he liked listening to Phil talk, so he just let Phil continue, listing meanings of nearly every flower in the shop, until they reached the last one, long purple flower clusters on green stems. 

"These are Stock, and they represent a bond of affection, promptness, and say 'you'll always be beautiful to me'." Dan considered that one. It seemed appropriate for him and Daisy. They had been bonded by their families since they were young. They both knew that their parents were encouraging this wedding, and it did feel a bit prompt, not that they were angry about it. Dan knew she cared about him, and he cared about her, so they were getting married because that was what you were supposed to do. And she would always be beautiful to him. She was quite honestly the perfect girl. She was gorgeous and kind and was always there for Dan. She gave him space, but the minute he needed her she was there.

"I think those." Dan said, indicating the Stock.

"Are you sure, they're not necessarily the most classic 'wedding' type of flower." Phil pointed out, but Dan nodded in affirmation, and Phil gave him a slightly quizzical look before writing this down on a notepad. 

"Alright, when's the wedding?" Phil asked, looking up at Dan from his writing.

"Two months I think. We haven't officially set a date, but we technically got together in mid September, so it makes sense to have the wedding then. It's early July now, so I guess more like two and a half months actually." Phil nodded with a small smile. 

"Well, we'll use stock as your main flower, and there'll be others around, but we can get into all of that later if you'd like. As more themes come together with colors of bridesmaid dresses and so on." Dan nodded, and they exchanged phone numbers by clicking each other's numbers into their small remotes with little screens, so that they could call each other from their earpieces.

Dan watched Phil as he smiled, but then a thoughtful look came over Phil's face for a moment, as if something new had occurred to him. It only lasted a moment, and then he was back to smiling, but there was almost a twinge of sadness there. Phil didn't seem like the type of person who could hide their emotions well.

"Alright, well you should probably be heading back to your fiancé now, I don't want to keep you." Phil suggested, moving towards the door to open it for Dan.

"Oh, I don't know, I was..." he didn't know what he was going to say. He enjoyed Phil's company and was actually hoping to spend a little more time here, but he didn't have a great reason. "I was actually hoping you'd go over the meanings of all of these with me one more time so I could write them down?" Phil chuckled and pulled out a small book from behind the counter.

"Here, take this. It says everything I told you and maybe even a little more." Dan took the book, a little sad that he didn't have a reason to stay. Phil seemed to catch that look, and paused for a moment before stepping back away from the door and into the flowers, returning with a yellow Tulip.

"Don't look so sad, Dan. You can come back anytime. You're about to get married, smile!" He handed Dan the flower, reminding him of the meaning. "There's sunshine in your smile." Dan blushed a bit, allowing a smile to cross his face, unknowing of how to receive praise from a practical stranger, so he just whispered a quick 'thanks' and shuffled out of the shop, making his way back home, holding the yellow tulip up to his face the whole way.

Something about his conversation with Phil had felt so nice. It felt real. Something about the way everyone else interacted with him felt fake, and they would only ever talk about Dan. Phil was the first person who got lost in his own passions, allowing Dan to just listen, and it had felt so nice to be able to just observe someone else's dreams.

When Dan was about a block away from home, he got a call from Daisy.

"Hey." He started, clicking his earpiece to accept the call.

"Hey, sweetie. Can I come over and make you dinner?" Dan felt an immediate urge to say no, as he always did when people tried to make plans with him, but knew that he should say yes and he didn't have any clear reason not to.

"Sure, I'm almost home."

"Alright, I'll come over in just a few. Love you!" She chirped on the other side of the line.

"You too." he responded, hanging up. He sighed and made his way up the steps to his house, entering and getting a small vase out for the Yellow Tulip. He felt sad for some reason, but looking at the Tulip, he remembered its meaning. 'There's sunshine in your smile'. He sighed and smiled, remembering that he should be happy right now. 

Daisy came over and made them a stir fry. She was an excellent cook, and even followed it up with some fresh baked cookies that they ate while watching a movie. She cuddled up close to him during the movie, and he put an arm around her, but aside from that just stayed where he was. He'd never been huge on physical affection for her, it always felt a little funny, but she was his fiancé and he wasn't about to reject her. 

Once the movie was over, Dan walked with her to the door. 

"I'll see you soon?" He asked, and she gave him a slightly bittersweet smile. He knew she wanted to stay longer, but he just wanted to lay down and be alone. He also wanted to get a chance to call Phil before it was way too ridiculously late at night to be acceptable. Daisy smiled and left, planting a kiss on Dan's cheek.

He shut the door behind her and sighed, exhausted by having to entertain someone else. He had a moment of worry. How was he going to be able to live with her? Once they were married they'd move in together, and how was he going to handle never being truly alone? He shrugged it off. Marriage was normal, and he'd figure it out, just like everyone else did.

He sunk onto his bed and pulled out his remote to call Phil through his earpiece. The phone only rang once before Phil answered.

"Dan?"

"Yeah... hi."

"It's eleven o'clock."

"Yeah... sorry. I just wanted to call to see..." Why was he calling? He'd been planning on calling Phil all this time and he hadn't even thought of why or what he was going to say? "...to see if you maybe wanted to hang out sometime. I liked talking to you today, and maybe we could hang out and I could learn some more about flowers so I can help you to make the perfect arrangements for her." he rambled, hoping it was an alright reason.

"Yeah, I'd love to hang out! Sorry, now's not the best time... but how about noon tomorrow? The little café on third?" Phil asked, and Dan noted that his voice hitched on the end of the word 'noon' as if he had hurt himself. Dan's brows furrowed, hoping Phil was okay.

"Yeah, noon sounds good. You alright?" 

 

"Yes, I'm fine, now's just really not a good time, I'll see you tomorrow!" and the line went dead. Dan's curiosity was through the roof, but he figured he could ask about this tomorrow. So for now, Dan simply brushed his teeth, changed into pajamas, and climbed into his bed, clicking off the light. 

Another day in the life of Dan. At least tomorrow he had something he was looking forward to.

This left a smile on his face as he fell asleep, remembering the tulip that was on his kitchen table.

 


	2. It's Heavenly to be With You

Dan woke up quickly, which was unusual for him. He showered and changed into a pair of nice black jeans and a short sleeve button up tshirt he owned that was littered with moths. He found this shirt somewhat funny because he was terrified of moths, but really enjoyed the way it looked on him. He dried his hair, allowing its curls to fall naturally. Dan poured himself a bowl of cereal and began munching, impatient for noon to roll around. When it reached 11:30, he began walking, even though it was probably only a ten minute walk to the coffee shop.

On his way, Dan saw a patch of tulips growing on the side of the street, and on a whim he picked one. It was a white tulip with red stripes coming up from the base, and he hoped Phil would like it.

Sure enough, he arrived about twenty minutes early, and sat down at a table by a window, looking out over the beautiful town.

"Hey, Dan! Congrats on the engagement!" the barista smiled as she walked over. Her name was Emily, and she made the best coffee in town. She was also a close friend of Daisy's. 

"Thanks, yeah we're really excited." This had been Dan's staple response, and he gave it without even thinking.

"Can I get anything started for you?" Emily asked, pulling out her notepad to take his order.

"No, I'm fine thanks. I'll order when my friend gets here." 

"Alright!" She smiled and walked behind the counter, returning a moment later with two cookies. "On the house. For you and your friend." Dan smiled and thanked her, leaving his cookie untouched. He didn't want to start without Phil. 

At 11:55, Dan looked up as the door opened and saw Phil walk through. Dan smiled at how bright Phil was. He was also wearing black skinny jeans, but he had on a buttoned up blue shirt that was left untucked. His eyes were bright and his hair was dark, and Dan grinned as he waved him over.

As Phil sat down, Dan reached across the table to hand Phil the tulip, and Phil's eyes widened, a small smile crossing his face.

"Thank you." He said, examining the flower.

"You're welcome. I saw it on the way here, and you gave me a tulip yesterday, so... I don't know what this one means, but I wanted you to have it."

"This is a Variegated Tulip. It means 'You have beautiful eyes'." Dan blushed a bit as he heard the meaning.

"Well, you do have pretty eyes, so I guess it works out well." He looked up to see Phil smile, but then a small frown crossed his face, and he tilted his head to the side for a moment as if he was listening to something. He shook it off quickly, and stood up.

"Hey, I'm gonna get a drink, what do you want?" Phil smiled, and Dan asked for a Caramel Macchiato. Phil nodded, and returned shortly with two identical drinks. 

"Thanks. How much do I owe you?" Dan asked, and Phil brushed him off.

"It's nothing, it's on me..." Phil cut himself off again and tilted his head, slightly annoyed looking, before changing his mind. "Sorry... um... $3.75." Dan nodded and handed over the money.

"That cookie's for you, by the way." He gestured towards the cookie in front of Phil, who smiled, but there was a slight sadness behind his smile. 

"So, Dan, what did you want to talk to me about?" Phil asked, pulling out his little notepad.

"Oh, I don't know I thought we could just hang out. We don't have to talk about the wedding right now... you're just a nice person and I wanted to spend some time with you." He watched as Phil nodded, grinning slightly, and placed his notepad back in his pocket. 

"Alright." Phil agreed, and took a sip of his coffee.

"So... what were you so busy with yesterday?" Dan asked before he even thought about the question. He was really curious as to what Phil had been doing when they had been on the phone, but in hindsight he could have been a bit more tactful with his question.

"Oh... nothing... I was just in a meeting." Phil responded, absently reaching down to itch his side, but then stopping himself. 

"Okay?" Dan responded, a question in his eyes, but then letting it go when he saw that Phil wasn't going to give him any more than that. 

They sat and talked and drank coffee. Conversation with Phil was easy, and Dan loved getting to talk to someone who actually shared the conversation rather than always turning everything into questions about himself. 

Dan learned that they were both twenty years old, both enjoyed the same books and movies. Phil always was making comparisons between nearly anything and flowers, and Dan loved hearing him talk about plants. Phil's eyes would light up and he seemed like he let go of a certain carefulness that he had when he talked about anything else. Eventually, Phil excused himself to go to the bathroom, and when he stood up his shirt had ridden up a bit, and Dan saw a splash of yellow on his side covered in plastic wrap. He frowned, wondering what it could be.

When Phil returned, Dan decided to ask.

"Phil, what's that on your side?" Phil's eyes went wide, and he pulled on his shirt to ensure it was covering everything.

"What?"

"The plastic over your side. What is it?" Phil sighed and seemed to think a bit, before standing up. 

"Hey, we've been here a while, want to walk down to the beach?" Dan nodded, following Phil, confused.

Phil walked quickly down to the beach, so that Dan was half walking, half jogging to keep up, unable to talk to Phil on the walk down, which was luckily just a few blocks. When they got there it was incredibly windy, and Dan wanted to turn around and keep from getting sand in his eyes that was flying up from the ground, but Phil continued on, so Dan followed. 

Phil led Dan down the beach and to a rock outcropping that completely surrounded them. The rocks blocked out the wind itself, but the sound of the air rushing past was still roaring in their ears. 

"Sorry, I just like coming here." Phil shouted over the wind, and Dan raised his eyebrows, because this all seemed rather strange and that didn't seem like a plausible explanation for all of this.

"This..." Phil began, speaking close to Dan so he could hear, lifting up the hem of his shirt, "Is a new piece of art." Dan looked down to see the watercolor tattoo that looked more like paint that had splashed across Phil's hip and onto his back. It was a yellow Tulip. Dan felt his jaw drop slightly, and he looked up at Phil with a question in his eyes.

"I don't really want to talk about it or for anyone else to know, so please don't bring it up, okay?" Phil asked, and Dan nodded, still extremely confused. 

Phil straightened his shirt, and just then Emily walked into their little rock enclosure. 

"Hey guys, Phil you left your cookie at the shop!" She exclaimed, handing Phil a small bag with one bite of cookie left. Dan squinted, confused as to how she found them, and why she would follow them all the way here just to deliver one bite of a cookie. 

"Well, anyways, my friend Tracy needs some new flowers and was asking if you'd be at your shop so you should probably head down there." Phil looked over at Dan with a slightly annoyed and sad glance, then shook his head and walked out of the rocks.

"Yeah... alright... Dan let me know when you want to talk about the floral arrangements for the wedding." His voice was flat, and Dan was confused. What had just happened?

 

-

 

A week went by without a trace of the dark haired florist. Dan missed him. He had only known Phil for two days before he seemed to fall of the face of the earth, but they had connected and talking to Phil was unlike talking to anyone else Dan had ever met. His yellow Tulip was wilting, and he felt sad. He knew he was less energetic than usual, less enthusiastic about life, choosing to stay inside and be alone most of the time. Daisy came over sometimes, but he just didn't have the energy to entertain her. It wasn't that he was depressed, he just felt off, and a little confused. 

 

-

 

**B: Our view count is dropping**

**M: I know. He's sad. He's not doing anything, people are losing interest.**

**B: We have to bring back the florist.**

**M: He's not cooperating.**

**B: Loosen the reins a bit, I think he's starting to pick up on something. Let them do what they want, and we'll step in if anything goes wrong.**

**M: Okay... I'll contact the florist. I hope you're right about this...**

**B: Me too.**

 

-

 

As Dan watched the Tulip wilt throughout these days, he wondered why Phil had gotten that same flower tattooed on him. It must have just been a coincidence, but something in him couldn't shake the feeling that it was because of Dan, and that confused him even more. He wanted to see Phil again. To talk to him. 

Dan punched in Phil's number on his remote, not for the first time this week, and waited as it rang. Just as he was sure that it was going to go to Phil's voicemail (which by now he had memorized, a short chipper message, tacking on the awful pun at the end 'Iris you would leave your name and number in a message!'), but this time he didn't hear that voicemail.

"Hello?" Dan heard Phil's voice on the other end, and he felt excitement run through him with just a twinge of panic, realizing he hadn't planned what to say.

"Hey! Phil, how are you?" There was a pause before Phil answered.

"I'm great." Phil said, but Dan could hear in his voice that it was a lie.

"Do you want to come over to my place? You kinda disappeared, I was hoping we'd hang out again." Dan asked, trying not to sound too desperate. He really wanted to see Phil again.

"Sure, yeah. I'll be over in a few." Dan smiled, and gave Phil his address. On a whim went outside onto the street and walked until he found a patch of flowers, picking a few that he thought Phil would like before returning back to his house. He was pretty sure they were white lilies, and when he got back he intentionally didn't look in the book Phil had gotten him. He kind of liked the idea of finding flowers that called out to him for Phil, and not knowing what they meant until he gave them to the florist. He made a mental note to do this often, it made him happy, and he loved how Phil's face had lit up when he gave him the white and red Tulip. 

After about ten minutes, Dan heard a knock on his door and jumped up to open it for Phil. He raised his eyebrows when he saw that Phil's earpiece wasn't in his ear, but shrugged. It did get a bit uncomfortable sometimes, and maybe he should take his own out sometime too. 

"I got you these." Dan held out the flowers, and saw a somewhat cautious smile cross Phil's face. 

"White lilies. Thank you." Phil reached out his arms and hugged Dan, whose eyes opened in surprise before hugging Phil back. They pulled apart, and Phil looked closer at the flowers.

"Do you have a vase I could put these in? I don't want them to die." Dan nodded and filled up a small glass vase with water, watching as Phil arranged them delicately. 

"So what do these mean?" Dan asked, excitement coursing through him. He couldn't explain why he was so excited, he just knew that being with Phil felt the same way that drinking five cups of coffee did. He was jittery and excited and felt like a little kid.

Phil looked up through his eyelashes over the flowers, and gave a sideways smirk.

"White lilies..." he began, moving back to adjust them slightly, "mean 'It's heavenly to be with you'." 

"Oh." was all that Dan said, looking at the flowers, still in awe of how much meaning a single plant could have. 

"Your tulip is dead." Phil noted, looking at the browning flower in the center of his table.

"Yeah, it started wilting a few days ago, I just haven't had the heart to throw it away." Dan admitted. He watched as Phil continued to examine the white lilies, and then a question popped into his head. 

"Phil, why did you take out your earpiece?" 

"Oh, I don't know. Just uncomfortable I guess." Dan nodded, having expected as much. He shrugged and took his own earpiece out, setting it on the table along with his remote. He could still hear if someone was trying to contact him, but he wouldn't be bothered by the pressure it constantly put on his ear. Immediately, he did feel much better, and smiled. 

"So... How's stuff for the wedding going?" Phil asked, apparently having finished his observation of the lilies, moving to Dan's couch. 

"Oh, it's alright. Haven't seen her much this week, I've been mostly keeping to myself." Phil nodded, and Dan could see that he was thinking. 

"I got another tattoo." Phil said suddenly, and Dan raised his eyebrows. Phil turned so Dan could see the spot on his side and back where the Yellow Tulip was before, but now it was joined by another tulip. This one was white with red stripes rising from the bottom.

Dan didn't know what to say. He knew now that these tattoos were because of him, but why? Why was Phil permanently marking his skin with flowers that represented their incredibly brief... friendship? He didn't even really know if they were friends yet. 

"Why?" Was all Dan asked, racking his brain for answers.

"I don't know... I've always wanted a watercolor garden on my back... I just didn't know how to start. This gave me a direction, so I just went with it." Dan nodded, still not entirely feeling as though that explanation was enough reason to get something so permanent, but he shrugged, letting it go.

"Can I meet her?" Phil asked. "Daisy. I mean... so far all I know about her is that she's 'nice', and her name. I think I'll need a little more to go off of if I'm going to be designing the flowers for your wedding." Phil's face was twisted into that not-quite-smile once again, and Dan nodded.

"Yeah, of course. Here, just a second." Dan made his way over to his remote and called Daisy, holding his earpiece to his head.

"Hey, sweetie! How's it going?" her voice rang out from the other side of the line.

"It's good, you want to come over? The wedding florist is here and he wants to get to know you so he can design things that you'll like." 

"Of course, honey, I'll be right there! Love you!"

"You too." Dan hung up and made his way back to the living room, sitting in the armchair across from Phil on the couch. 

"She'll be right over." He said, leaning back in the chair. Something was strange. He still felt comfortable around Phil and enjoyed his presence, but there was a certain awkwardness to the way Phil was so carefully choosing his words, and Dan was finding it hard to keep a natural conversation. After a few moments of silence, Phil sat forward quickly and broke it.

"Do you want to go out on a boat tomorrow? I have a little paddleboat and we can go out into the water a little ways." Dan raised his eyebrows, considering. He'd never been out on the water before, never even really thought of it. The thought scared him a bit, he always viewed the land here as a safe zone, protected from the rest of the world, but he supposed that so long as they didn't go too far everything should be fine.

"Sure! It'll be like a picnic." He agreed, and Phil seemed to relax. Just then there was a knock at the door, and Dan called out, "Come in!" 

Daisy walked through the door, long hair pulled into a braid, a flowing blue and purple dress sweeping the floor. She made her way over to Dan and hugged him from behind his chair, planting a kiss on his cheek. 

"Good to see you, sweetie." She said, hugging him tighter.

"You too." She straightened up and made her way over to the sofa where Phil sat, holding out her arm.

"And you must be our florist! My name is Daisy."

"Phil." Phil responded, taking her hand and shaking it, smiling kindly. He reached into a bag he had, and pulled out a small book of photos of flowers, telling her and Dan to look through and point out any that they really liked. When they reached one page, seeing light purple and pink flowers, whose petals arched backwards creating a coned shape, Dan pointed.

"These are interesting... They're different than the others. And you love this color... these would be good for you." he said to Daisy and she smiled. They looked back to Phil whose eyes were wide, and whose mouth was twisted into a small circle. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. 

"Sure yeah... um... let's keep going, see if any others stand out." Phil said hastily, but Daisy stopped him.

"Why? Those ones are beautiful, it is my favorite color. They're perfect!" She smiled, but Dan knew it must be the meaning. He raised his eyebrows to Phil, who sighed.

"They represent resignation. They're the way of saying 'goodbye' through a bouquet." Dan nodded slowly, realizing that probably wasn't what they wanted for a wedding. Daisy simply shrugged, though.

"I don't see why that matters. They're pretty, we're going with those!" Phil looked at Dan worriedly, and Dan shook his head, conveying that if that's what Daisy wanted, that's what they'd have at their wedding.

"Alright... you want to look at any more?" Phil asked, and Daisy nodded. He leafed through the pages until Daisy stopped him. She pointed at a four petaled white flower with bright orange stalks coming from the center, and asked what it was called.

At this point Phil looked like he was about ready to rip up the book and toss it into a fire.

"That... that's a Mock Orange." he was mumbling now. "It represents deceit." Once again, Daisy shrugged. 

"Well, it's nice and it'd look good in a wedding bouquet." Phil nodded slowly.

"Alright, well I think that's a good start. We can work on more when the wedding gets closer." Daisy nodded and got up to open the door for Phil, indicating that it was time for him to leave.

"Bye..." Phil said with a last somewhat sad and concerned glance over his shoulder before leaving, scooping up the vase of white lilies, Daisy closing the door behind him.

"Ugh did he really just try to tell me not to choose the flowers I wanted for _my_ wedding? I don't care what they mean, they're just flowers!" Daisy ranted as she walked into Dan's kitchen and grabbed some juice out of the fridge, pouring herself a glass. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch tomorrow. I'm feeling in the mood for some nice French food... we could make it a date. Dress up, enjoy the romantic setting..." 

"Sorry, I already have plans tomorrow. Maybe the next day." Dan responded, picking a sketchpad out of the drawer of his coffee table. He began sketching, doodling flowers absentmindedly.

"Oh. Okay." Daisy responded. She made her way to the couch with her juice and tried a few times to start conversation with Dan, but he just wasn't feeling all that talkative. He was getting lost in the world of flowers and art. He had always enjoyed drawing, and it helped to pass the time. Over the years he'd actually gotten pretty good, and it helped to calm him.

After about twenty minutes of trying to converse with her fiancé and failing, Daisy sighed and left, calling out a "Love you, honey!" over her shoulder, Dan responding with his signature,

"You too!" 

 

**-**

 

**D: He's giving me nothing to work with.**

**B: Well, figure something out.**

**D: I'm sick of this. I'm _actually_ getting married soon, and because of this idiotic show I have to hide everything. **

**B: You can't just quit.**

**D: I'm not... yet. But I don't know how much longer I can do this. And you know how traditional the audience is, you can't have us get married and then write me out somehow. Unless you kill me off, and I'm not agreeing to go into that level of hiding from the public. It'd be better to just end things before the wedding.**

**B: I'll give you a raise. Double the money.**

**D: I don't care.**

**B: Fine... Just stay on for at least long enough to get him more attached. He's in a weird space right now, and if you're leaving we're going to have to make sure it leaves him heartbroken, otherwise the audience will be disappointed. Can you do that?**

**D: Fine. But I want that raise for the extra time from here until the end.**

**B: Get him to fall for you for real, and I'll pay for an extravagant and private, long honeymoon for you and Sean. Just promise you'll keep it quiet and I'll cover that cost along with a $150,000 bonus as you leave.**

**D: Deal.**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I feel like it's kind of hot headed to even say this and PLEASE don't take it that way, but if any of you ever felt like drawing art for this or any of my other stories, I will attach it to the work :) <3


	3. The Sun is Always Shining When I'm With You

It was cold by the docks. Dan had arrived an hour early, so he sat with his sketchpad and pencil, drawing a quick sketch of the flower he had picked out for Phil on the way to the beach. He had picked out a daffodil, feeling as if its brightness and positivity mirrored Phil's presence in Dan's life. He could only hope that it meant something positive. 

He drew the daffodil laying on the log beside him, making the woodgrain background a bit blurred so the sharpness of the flower itself stood out. He was so focused on his drawing, he didn't even realize when the earpiece he now kept in his pocket started beeping to tell him he had a message. Two minutes later he was still so zoned in on his drawing that he missed the sound of the footsteps behind him, jumping when he felt Phil's hand on his shoulder, and heard a whispered "Boo!" by his ear. His hand flinched when he jumped, and made a dark line through the daffodil on his paper. 

"Oh no, I'm so sorry! Holy shit, wait, you draw? That's incredible!" Dan laughed, scratching out the drawing.

"Don't be sorry, it was just a quick doodle. Something to pass the time. Here." Dan reached out for the real daffodil, handing it to his friend who took a seat on the log next to him. "Did I pick a good one?" Dan asked, hopeful.

"You picked a great one, Dan. Daffodils represent..." Phil stopped there, seeming to think better of what he was saying. "They say 'The sun is always shining when I'm with you'." Phil stated, smiling up at Dan.

"Oh... we'll I guess I just had to share some of that sunshine from your yellow Tulip. My smile's not the only thing that brings sunshine." Dan joked, nudging Phil with his shoulder. "But what else does it mean?" Phil sighed, seemingly accepting that Dan had seen there was something more Phil was going to say before deciding against it. He spoke softly as he explained,

"Daffodils mean 'You're the only one.'" Dan looked at him, smiling, and he thought it was true. Phil was the only one he could relax and be himself with. Phil was one of a kind, he treated Dan in a way no one else ever had. He was so happy he had met this strange florist. 

"Come on, let's go to the boat." Dan nodded and followed Phil to the boat, where the older boy threw in a few bags he had with him, then steadied the small paddleboat for Dan to get in behind him. The waves were calm, thank god. They usually were, actually, since the shape of the land they were on created a natural block from the sea, forming a large bay with only a small entrance to the sea itself. It made this bay more like a lake, honestly, just a very very large one. Phil grabbed the oars and began to move the boat after untying it from the dock, and Dan grabbed onto the sides, unnerved by the strange motion it made on the water.

"So... you draw." Phil began, indicating with a head nod to Dan's sketchpad that he had laid next to him on the seat.

"Yeah, a bit. It passes the time, and it's one thing I'm not shit at." Phil chuckled. 

"You're certainly not shit at it. Hey, would you ever want to design a tattoo for me?" Dan raised his eyebrows, surprised. Phil had already gotten two tattoos in just a little over a week, and he was already planning on more? 

"Yeah, sure. I mean I can't say it'll be good, but I'll give you a drawing to look at. Are you really thinking of getting another?" 

"Didn't I tell you I wanted a whole garden on my back?" The corner of Phil's mouth twitched up into a side smile that Dan couldn't help grinning back at. 

"Alright then, what do you want?"

"Well, you know I'm going with the watercolor theme, so something loose and flowing. And the flowers I'm getting next will be a White Lily and a Yellow Daffodil." Dan blushed a bit, and nodded.

"Alright... you know you're a dork, right?" Phil grinned fully now, his tongue poking out just a tiny bit between his teeth.

"I know, I know." They laughed, and Dan began sketching some flowers as options for the tattoos as Phil pulled the oars, driving them further into the lake. Eventually they rounded a small corner and were in an inlet, away from the docks and the noise of the town. It was quiet and the water was still, and Phil put down the oars, moving to sit on the same bench as Dan. He reached down into one of his bags and pulled out two sandwiches, handing one over to Dan which they munched on as they watched the beautiful scenery.

Dan was in awe. He'd only ever been in one small town his whole life, so being in a new place was somewhat terrifying, but in an exhilarating way. He looked around him until he heard a small _PLUNK_  from Phil's side of the boat, and looked to his right to see Phil staring in his direction, a small smile on his lips.

"Do you trust me?" Phil whispered, barely audibly, and Dan nodded, confused.

Phil leaned in close to Dan's ear so that he was barely making any sound as he whispered, "Hand me your earpiece." Dan pulled back, confused, but he reached into his pocket and handed the device to Phil, watching in shock as the older boy reached over the side of the boat and dropped the device in the water.

"If anyone asks, we almost tipped the boat accidentally and they fell out and got lost, okay?" Phil asked, full volume now, and his expression was serious. Dan nodded, still confused.

"Why did you do that?" Dan asked, and Phil shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you. I want to... and maybe I'll be able to soon. But for now, you just have to trust me." Dan nodded again, slowly.

 

-

 

**M: We've lost tabs on them.**

**B: Goddammit, well send out a crew.**

**M: Already on it, I told you this florist was bad news.**

**B: He's causing trouble, yes, but people are coming back to watch. Dan is happy and that's what brings the viewers in. We can't take the florist out of the picture.**

**M: You're just intent on making my job impossible, aren't you?**

**B: Do you want to get paid or not?**

**M: Fine. A crew will be out in a minute, and we'll leave the florist alone unless you change your mind.**

**B: Good.**

 

**-**

 

"So.... Have you ever wanted to travel?" Phil asked, and Dan almost laughed out loud.

"Are you kidding me? We live in the only safe place in the world! No thank you, I don't feel like getting blown to bits anytime soon!" An understanding and somewhat sad look crossed Phil's features, and he nodded, laughing slightly.

"Of course. Right. Yeah that'd be stupid." he seemed to think for a bit, and Dan just watched him, curious as to what was going through this boy's head, before he looked up with determination in his eyes.

"Dan... I have to tell you something, while I can." Dan raised his eyebrows in confusion, but stayed silent, allowing Phil to explain. "Daisy... she doesn't love you. She's not who you think she is. No one is." Dan's mouth parted in confusion, eyebrows furrowing even more.

"Phil, what are you talking about?" 

"Dan... I care about you and I just need you to know that I'm not like the others and you can trust me. I... Shit." Phil was looking at some spot over Dan's shoulder. Dan turned to see what he was looking at, and saw a slightly larger boat making its way towards them. Emily from the coffee shop was on this boat, along with several other faces Dan recognized from around town. Of course he did, he knew everybody.

"Dan! Phil! What are you two doing out here?" Emily called out cheerily when she saw them, and Phil leaned in close to whisper one more thing in Dan's ear.

"Don't. Trust. Anyone." Dan was confused, but brushed Phil off. Was this man crazy? Had he just missed all the signs?

"Hey, Emily! Not much, just enjoying the scenery!" Dan called back.

"Daisy was asking about you, she wants to see you!" Dan thought for a moment. Before he had been much more interested in spending an afternoon with his new friend, but now the comfort of being around Daisy sounded inviting, as Phil was beginning to worry him. 

"Oh, okay thanks for letting me know, I'll head back now!" 

"Yeah, she's been trying to call you! Is your earpiece off?" Emily called back, and Dan noticed Phil stiffen beside him. He remembered the story, and even though he was a bit concerned about Phil, he knew this lie seemed important to him, so he kept it. 

"No, accidentally dropped it in the lake when the boat almost tipped over!" Emily's boat was getting closer now, and it got just within feet of Dan and Phil's. 

"Oh, well I actually just got a new one, so if you want this one you can have it!" Emily smiled as she tossed an earpiece towards Dan, which he accepted and put in. 

"Alright, well I'll see you around, Dan! See you, Phil!" The two boys shouted back their goodbyes, and Dan picked up the oars to begin rowing them back. Once they were a bit away, Dan turned to his friend.

"What was all that about?" Phil's eyes opened wide, and his expression was one of panic. He raised his finger to his mouth, making a 'shhhh' motion, then pointing towards Dan's ear and then to his own, indicating where the earpiece would be. Dan nodded slowly, realizing what Phil meant. He was trying to tell Dan somehow that their conversation was being recorded. Dan had no idea what to make of that. Should he be worried about Phil? Should he be worried about this earpiece? He didn't know who to trust, and it was all giving him a headache. 

He settled for silence until they got back to shore, then said a quick goodbye to Phil, saying that he needed to get back to his fiancé and just relax for a bit. Phil nodded a bit sadly.

"Will I see you again soon?" he asked, and Dan nodded. While what Phil had said didn't make any sense, he knew his friend wasn't malicious and he didn't seem crazy. Dan was willing to hear him out, just not today.

"Yes. Yeah soon. I'll come by your shop, okay?" Phil nodded, relief taking over most of the sorrow in his eyes, but some remained as he turned and walked away, daffodil hanging loosely in his grip.

 

-

 

**B: Now's your time.**

**D: Fuck off.**

**B: You want that bonus?  
**

**D: I'm done with this game.**

**B: Fine, you're off.**

**D: Good.**

 

**-**

 

Dan returned to his house, and punched in Daisy's phone number. He was embarrassed that he didn't have it memorized, having to find the scrap of paper he had tucked in a drawer to find the number. When it went to voicemail, he got confused. She _never_  missed one of his calls. Maybe she was mad at him for not answering? He called once again, and when she didn't pick up he decided to walk the few houses down to hers, to see if she was home. When he knocked on the door with no answer, he got the hidden key under her welcome mat, and opened the front door.

"Daisy? Daisy, are you here?" No response. He made his way through the whole house, but no one was home. He was beginning to get worried, and he found her phonebook, finding Emily's number and quickly punching it in.

"Hello?"

"Emily? This is Dan. I can't find Daisy, do you know where she is?"

"Dan... I'm so sorry. She came down to the beach when I told her you had been down there, and apparently she decided to swim out to see if she could spot you. She must have hit her head... we found her but it was too late. She's gone, Dan." 

Dan didn't respond. He felt like his world was spinning.

Daisy was dead? His oldest friend, his girlfriend, his fiancé had drowned? He sunk to the floor in shock, hands shaking, staring into the space in front of him.

"Dan? Dan, are you okay?" He didn't respond to Emily's voice in his ear, unable to think clearly. This was impossible. 

"Where are you, let me come help." Dan shook his head, unable to make a sound. He knew this was unhelpful, as she couldn't actually see him shaking his head, but he hoped she'd take his silence as answer enough. It seemed at first that she did, as the line went blank, but fifteen minutes later when she burst through the front door, he knew he had been wrong.

The minute he saw her, every moment spent with Daisy, every smile, every hug, every day they spent just keeping each other company hit him all at once. Tears began streaming down his face. He hadn't been good enough to her. She had been perfect, and she had died trying to find him because he had chosen someone else over her and ignored her, and for who? For some fucking flower boy who was probably some insane conspiracy theorist. 

Emily made her way to him quickly, putting her arms around his shoulders as he sobbed, stroking his back comfortingly. They stayed that way until there were no more tears.

Eventually he stood up and began walking back to his house. Emily asked if he needed company, but he shook his head, and when he was safely inside she left. He sank into the bed, burying his face in the pillow, falling into the sweet release of sleep.

 

-

 

**B: You did well. You're being promoted.**

**E: Really? Thank you!**

**B: Get closer to him. Comfort him, be there for him. You're next in line.**

**E: Alright, will do.**

**B: You think you can make him believe you love him? And make him love you?  
**

**E: Yes. I was close to her, I'm sure that he'll turn to me for comfort, and I can get him to fall. And he's not too bad on the eyes, it won't be hard to act in love.**

**B: Good. It's a trial, if the chemistry isn't there we'll abandon this plan, but for now this is where it stands. We'll talk more about your raise soon.**

**E: Okay.**

**B: And try to keep him away from that florist if you can. Make him want you more.**

**E: He won't even remember that pansy's name.**

**B: Good.**


	4. I'll Protect You

A month passed. A month of silence. A month of numbness. A month of solidarity. 

During this month, Dan saw almost no one. He hadn't spoken to anyone since the day Daisy had died. Emily brought him groceries sometimes and would stay to talk to him, but he didn't respond. He hadn't spoken since he heard. He felt responsible, he felt guilty.

Emily clearly wanted him to speak to her, but he couldn't. Everything about her reminded him of Daisy, and he hated it. She'd begun to stay the night, and he didn't refuse. If he were feeling less out-of-body he knew he'd tell her no, but he just didn't have the energy. She'd fall asleep next to him and put her hand on his chest, and he'd want to brush it off, but he just didn't have the energy, or the heart to offend anyone. 

He had accepted that he simply needed to be what people wanted from him. He hadn't been that for Daisy, and she'd ended up dead. And it was his fault. 

He slept.

 

-

 

**B: This isn't working. Our view count is lower than ever. I wanted him heartbroken and relatable, not depressed and silent.**

**M: I don't know what to tell you.**

**E: I'm sorry, I'm doing everything I can.**

**B: It's not your fault, we know you're trying.**

**E: He won't give me _anything_ to work with. I'll keep trying, though.**

**B: I think we need to bring back the florist.**

**M: He's been gone for three weeks now, who knows if he'll even agree? You didn't let him go in the nicest way possible.**

**B: He cares too much, he'll come back. He might be able to snap Dan out of it.**

**M: ...if you say so...**

**B: I do.**

**M: I'll send him an email. We have to be careful though, I think he might try to ruin all of this.**

**B: Well, it's all or nothing. With the way Dan is right now, we'll all be out of jobs soon. It's a risk I'm willing to take.**

**E: You sure you can't give me just one more week?**

**B: I'm sure. Bring back the florist.**

 

**-**

 

**M: We need you back.**

**P: You're kidding, right?**

**M: Have you been keeping up?  
**

**P: Yes... he's miserable. You've destroyed him. How does that relate to me coming back?**

**M: We think you might be able to pull him out of it. You're our last chance.**

**P: I'm _his_ last chance.**

**M: Will you return?  
**

**P: Yes... on my own terms.**

**M: And what are those?**

**P: No earpieces. And you allow me to remove Dan's. You allow me to speak to him freely without being interrupted by your incessant 'crews' and 'teams'. Remove the surveillance on my shop and my house to give us a place to speak privately. I won't give away your little secret, but in return you have to allow me to actually talk to him without being watched every moment. Loosen the reins, give me some freedom, and I'll help him get better.**

_**(M) HAS ADDED (B) TO THIS CONVERSATION** _

**M: What's your opinion?**

**B: Fine. You get your wiggle room, but just remember your audience. Remember who you're doing this for.**

**P: I'm doing this for _Dan_.**

 

**-**

 

Another week passed. Dan was slowly nibbling at a tasteless granola bar when he heard a knock at his door. That was strange, Emily never knocked. He simply stared straight forward until Phil peeked into the house, and Dan's eyes lifted to meet the older boy's.

"Hey, Dan." Phil said, making his way over to Dan's sofa.

Dan nodded slightly in reply. 

"How are you? It's been a while..." Phil spoke softly. Dan turned his face towards Phil's, looking in his eyes. The sight of his puffy, bloodshot eyes with the gigantic bags around them, his hollow cheeks and chapped lips should be response enough for Phil's question of how he was.

"Hey... I know that we left things on a weird note, and I know that things have been hard for you lately, but..." Phil pulled something from behind his back. It was a collection of flowers with several petals, each a different color, and dark centers. "Mixed Zinnas. They represent remembrance for a friend who's no longer here." Dan felt a tear roll out of his eye and down his cheek as he thought of Daisy. He reached forward slowly and took the flowers, raising them to his nose and breathing in their sweet scent.

"I have something I really need to show you, Dan. Will you please come with me? Please?" Phil pleaded with his eyes, standing up and offering a hand towards Dan, who after a moment accepted the offer, shakily coming to his feet next to Phil. 

They left Dan's house and walked about seven blocks until they came to a small, quaint house with a gorgeous and full garden. 

"Dan... may I?" Dan didn't know what Phil meant as he gestured towards the side of Dan's face, but he had stopped saying no to people weeks ago, so he simply gave a small nod of his head, watching as Phil gently detached the earpiece from his head and placed it on the fence outside of this house. He began walking to the door, and then held it for Dan who walked through numbly. The house was beautiful. Tiny but sweet, and there were flowers absolutely everywhere. 

Phil walked in behind Dan, shutting the door. "Alright, Dan I know this is going to be a shock, but there's something I really need to tell you, and I  _need_ you to promise me you'll never speak of this to anyone else. This information stays inside these walls, okay?" Dan nodded, surprised at Phil's sudden intensity. He watched as Phil pulled a small photograph out of his pocket, and held it up to Dan.

It was a picture of Daisy. Why would Phil ever show him this? He was about to rip it to shreds and throw it in Phil's face, when he actually took the time to notice the rest of the picture. He saw Daisy standing beside a man. She wore a white dress with a veil and a bouquet, and he wore a tuxedo. It was clearly a wedding photo. 

This made no sense at all. Daisy wouldn't have cheated on him. She couldn't have, the town was so small. She couldn't have married someone, for christ sakes! What was this? He looked up at Phil, hurt and anger and confusion all mixed together in his expression.

"Dan... I can't explain anything more than what I told you on the boat. People aren't who you think they are. 'Daisy' was just a character, and she's not dead. She just left this fucked up town and now she's living a few hours away in a city that is most certainly not part of a world at war. I'll explain more later, but right now I think we need to take this piece by piece, you've had a hellish month, and I don't want to overwhelm you."

"You don't want to overwhelm me?" Dan tried to shout indignantly, but it came out as a whispered croak, his vocal chords nearly dead from lack of use. 

"I know. I know it's a lot to take in. Just... please believe me, Dan, when I say that I care about you. I'm here for you, and I'm the  _only_ one that's here for  _you_. Please... please just stay here tonight. You can stay in my bed and I'll sleep on the couch. Just stay here and don't run away, and talk to me if you're confused. I'll tell you everything I can."

Dan was back to examining the photo now, and he realized that it seemed that Phil was right. Daisy's hair was slightly longer than it had been the last time Dan had seen her, and her hair hadn't been longer than it was then since she had been fifteen, and she surely looked different now. 

She was alive. 

She was alive and for some reason everyone had told him she was dead. And she had a husband? Dan had so many questions, but instead of asking them, he simply started crying. He cried and he cried, and Phil wrapped his arms around the younger boy, allowing him to soak Phil's shirt with his tears. 

Eventually, his tears stopped. He felt weak, and Phil sat him down in a chair as he made some soup for them. He coaxed the stew into Dan, and it was the first real food Dan had eaten in weeks, having mostly survived off of granola bars and trail mix. 

Phil managed to get Dan to eat an entire bowl, and when he had finished, Phil slipped out for a moment. He returned with a handful of white flowers from his garden, handing them to Dan. 

"White Heather. They mean 'I'll protect you'. And I will, Dan. I'm here for you." Dan nodded and gave his friend a small smile as Phil helped him to his feet and into Phil's bedroom, laying Dan down on the mattress and tucking him in. Phil set the flowers on the end table and began to leave, but Dan reached out and grabbed ahold of his wrist weakly.

"Stay?" Dan croaked, and Phil gave him a small sad smile. 

"Okay." He whispered, and crawled under the sheets next to Dan. Dan fell asleep quickly with Phil by his side, and it was the most peaceful sleep he had had in a long time.

 

-

 

**B: Is it working?**

**P: Yes.**

**B: Good. You can't hide in there forever, though. People need to see him.**

**P: You can take a few days off. Use backup that you have. No one's watching, anyway. Give me a few days and I promise he'll be better and back for you to use to your heart's content.**

**B: You make me out to be a villain.**

**P: You are.**

**B: I'm simply doing my job.**

**P: It's sick.**

**B: I'm sorry you feel that way.**

**P: I'm done with this conversation. He's sleeping well for the first time in ages, and I'm going to also. He'll get better, you have my word. Goodbye.**

 

**-**

 

When Dan awoke he looked around, taking in the unfamiliar setting before remembering where he was. He looked to his side and saw that Phil was gone, then looked to the other side and saw a new pink flower sitting on the end table in front of last night's White Heather. This flower had a small note under it that read:

 

_Azaleas mean: Take Care of Yourself for Me_

_I'll be back soon_

_-Phil_

 

Dan sighed and lifted this flower to his nose, inhaling. This entire house smelled incredibly sweet and alive, and it comforted him. He felt more alive than he had in a long time, and he actually let a small smile cross his face, the first smile to grace his expression since the day on the boat. He had questions, but he knew they were going to get answered now, and a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.

Dan waited, and eventually Phil returned with two steaming cups of coffee. 

"Morning." Phil said softly, setting the coffee mug down next to Dan on the end table, slipping back into the bed and leaning against the headboard as he drank his coffee. Dan pushed himself into a sitting position as well as he took his own mug in his hands, nursing the hot liquid. 

"Morning. Thank you... for the flower." Phil smiled into his cup, nodding in response to Dan's gratitude. 

"So... am I getting any answers today?" Dan asked, and Phil's expression went dark.

"I suppose. I really shouldn't be telling you, but I can't do this anymore. Dan... this world you're living in... It's not real. Everything is fake. The people are fake, the houses are fake. Goddammit even I was fake until I truly met you." Dan looked at Phil, confused. This hadn't helped him at all, only raised more questions.

"Okay... so... we only met a few months ago, right?" Dan nodded, confirming this fact. "But I've known you since you were little. Remember when you and Daisy rode your bikes together down the street and you accidentally grazed the curb and did a flip, ending up with a deep cut that left that scar on your elbow?" Dan's jaw fell slightly slack.

"Have you been stalking me?" Phil didn't respond to this, simply continuing.

"Or when you failed that maths exam in eleventh grade and the teacher told you in front of your class, and all your classmates laughed at you? Or how about when you watched 'The Shining' before bed and then cried yourself to sleep, and wet the bed at age ten and spent the early hours of the morning cleaning up so no one would know?" Dan was honestly starting to get scared now. How could Phil know all of this?

"Dan, there are a lot of people right now who are pulling an extremely twisted prank on you. Your life... it's not private. Have you ever wondered why  _everyone_ knows you? Why  _everything_ goes your way? Why you're always the first one people go to when they're setting up any event, even if they barely know you?" Dan _had_  wondered those things. "It's because you're the center of a fake world. This entire place.... the world outside isn't at war. The world outside is thriving, and this is a tiny sheltered little fucking  _TV set_ where there are hidden cameras and microphones everywhere!

"You know the fucking earpieces? They're how everyone knows where you are at all times. The people behind the scenes use them to communicate with us to tell us where you are and how to act and what to say. Of course yours only plays music and makes calls, but for the rest it creates a hive mind.

" _Your life is a TV show, Dan._ " Dan sat there in shock, disbelieving. No... that couldn't be true? ....Could it?

"I hated it from the start. I never wanted to be a part of it, but I had no money and was told that I could run a flower shop which had always been my life's dream, and I'd be payed wonderfully just to keep the town looking pretty, and I'd probably never even have to see you, so I wouldn't have to lie. I'm an awful liar, and an awful actor, Dan. You saw straight through me every time I tried to make something up. And when I met you... everything changed. It wasn't worth it just for the money and the job. It wasn't worth it, because  _I care about you, Dan._ " Phil sounded like he might cry. "I care about you  _so_ much, and I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long but they're watching all the time and it's so hard, and all I've wanted was just to be able to tell you, and please please  _please_ you cannot say anything outside of this house. This is a safe spot, but there are cameras and microphones  _everywhere_ else, and I don't know what they'll do if they find out I told you, but trust me it won't be good for either of us."

Dan sank backwards, placing his coffee mug back on the table, accidentally crushing the Azalea.

"Oh god, please say something, Dan. Are you mad at me?"

Dan though for a moment before slowly responding. 

"I... I don't know. A little bit. But I'm glad you told me. And you tried to tell me earlier..." he recalled, and noticed Phil relax next to him. Dan wasn't relaxed. He was in shock once again, and extremely confused. "So... my whole life? My entire life people have been watching me?" Phil nodded in response.

"Even as I got dressed? How much did everyone see?" Phil sighed, but he answered.

"They don't leave anything indecent in the show. It's a 'family show', and aimed mostly at traditional, conservative audiences. But I'm pretty sure that was all on tape that someone saw before editing it out." They sat in silence for a few moments, Dan chewing on this knowledge. "They tried really hard to keep me away from you. Even fired me... twice. They were worried that we were getting 'too close' and that their conservative audience wasn't going to like two men being so close and might think it was something romantic. They had to keep you with Daisy, and then when Daisy quit they sent in Emily to try to take her place."

"And my parents?"

"Not your real parents. They also never truly wanted the jobs but needed the money, so when their acting was getting sub-par, the managers took them out of the story a bit. You've been wondering why they never visit and rarely call or answer their phones? It's because they're both washed up alcoholics that the show hasn't found a way to kill off just yet." Dan nodded. Somehow, he wasn't as surprised as he felt he should have been. It made sense in a twisted way. He was angry, but he wasn't surprised.

All he knew was that Phil was the only one to be honest with him, and that he needed to get out. 

"So... how do we leave?" Dan asked, and Phil sighed. 

"I hate to tell you this, but they're more paranoid than ever and it won't be easy right now. I know it'll be hell, but... I think we need to give them some time. Go out in public, make sure you're acting happy, and they'll relax. Their guard will go down over time, and we'll find a way out. It has to be thought through, though. One slip up and they'll put in even higher security, and then there'll be no way to leave. We can do this... we just have to be patient." Dan nodded, frustrated at this conclusion, but accepting that it was probably the only way to actually escape this prison.

"Tomorrow I'll go out." he agreed. "I can't face it today, though... can I stay here one more day? I don't think I can put on a happy face just yet."

"Of course." Phil responded soothingly, and placed a hand over Dan's, squeezing his hand in reassurance before pulling back away.

This was going to be hell, and Dan's life had just been turned upside down, but at least he had Phil. He just hoped that the two of them could find a way out of this mess.

 

 


	5. You Make My Life Complete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, you've waited patiently through tons of exposition, now the fluff truly begins... enjoy :D

The rest of the day passed with Dan asking Phil questions about all the details of this show that centered around his life, and by the evening he was exhausted. 

"Thank you, Phil." he sighed into Phil's pillow.

"What do you mean?" 

"For telling me. And for talking to me. For helping." 

"Dan, I have no idea why you aren't furious with me right now. I feel wrong saying you're welcome, because I don't think you should be thanking me in the first place. But of course I'm going to help you in every way I can. You're the only _real_ person I've talked to in ages, and you're my best friend. I know we haven't known each other for long, but you are." Dan smiled tiredly into his pillow. He truly was grateful to Phil, and he knew that Phil was by far a better friend to him than anyone else had ever been. He'd proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

"You too, Phil. Thank you." He began nodding off, and barely noticed as Phil slowly began to get off the bed, grabbing his pillow as he left.

"No. Don't." Dan said, and Phil brought back the pillow, slipping under the duvet. Dan rolled over so he was facing Phil, and put a hand on Phil's upper arm to connect them. 

"Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Dan." Dan smiled softly as he fell asleep, surrounded by the scent of flowers.

 

-

 

**B: We need you to switch tasks. We need someone he's never seen before. You're being transferred from security to cast.**

**L: Okay, what do you want me to do?**

**B: You're the new love interest. Get this thing back on track, whatever it takes.**

**L: I'm not dyeing my hair for this.**

**B: You can keep the pink, our audience is conservative but they're not _that_ crazy. And for those who are... they can deal. We need you.**

**L: Fine.**

 

**-**

 

**B: We need him back.**

**P: He'll be back today. He's feeling much better.**

**B: Bring him to the library. We have someone to introduce to him.**

**P: Fine.**

**B: Have him there at 1:00pm.**

**P: 1:00**

 

**-**

 

Dan woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon, and wandered through Phil's house towards the kitchen where he saw his friend's back to him, making breakfast at the stove. Dan didn't know what it was, but he felt a strong urge inside him to walk up and put his arms around his friend. He figured that probably wasn't a good idea, knowing that Phil was fairly clumsy and working with a hot stove, so he simply sat at the dining table and watched his friend cook. 

He smiled, hanging his head, but still looking up at Phil through his eyelashes, feeling almost secondhand embarrassed as Phil began swaying his hips back and forth, singing a song Dan didn't recognize, using his spatula as a microphone. It started subtle, but picked up in volume and Phil was now shaking his hips violently side to side as he whipped around, eyes shut and spatula to his mouth, other hand in the air striking a pose as he hit the high note at the end of the verse, going all the way up into falsetto. 

Dan broke then and let out a sound with his laugh, and Phil's eyes shot open, immediately breaking his pose and setting the spatula on the counter, redness flushing to his cheeks.

"Um... morning." Phil squeaked, and Dan just laughed.

"Those are some active hips you've got there." Dan chuckled, and Phil grabbed a seed packet from the counter, throwing it at Dan's head playfully, missing by a few feet. His blush covered his entire face now, and he turned back around, grabbing the spatula to continue making the food.

Dan got up and made his way to Phil, standing by his side.

"You don't have to be embarrassed. You have a good voice." Dan said, looking over at his friend.

"Thanks." Phil smiled a bit through his blush. "I made us eggs and bacon and I'm about to put in some toast."

"Thank you." Dan smiled, nudging his friend with his shoulder. "You're gonna have to teach me how to dance like that sometime." he joked, adding a wink onto the end for extra emphasis.

"Oh, I will." Phil smirked, teasingly as he turned towards Dan, quickly picking a flower out of a pot he had in the window over the sink. "Viscaria. Means 'will you dance with me?'" He smiled playfully, reached out and placed his hands on Dan's waist after discarding the spatula on the counter, and Dan looked up, surprised but willing to play along. Dan hung his arms around Phil's neck, and Phil began swaying gently from side to side. Dan awkwardly stepped sideways and then back, his movements jerky. 

"Dan, come on. Use your hips!" Phil put pressure onto Dan's sides, pressing his hips so they led Dan from side to side instead of his feet, and it felt smoother. Phil began humming a song, and Dan recognized it. It was a song he'd heard in movies sometimes, 'You are my Sunshine'. They swayed back and forth for a bit as Phil hummed, and Dan realized that all the pretense of teasing was gone, and now they were just dancing together. He was extremely aware of Phil's long fingers wrapped around Dan's waist, and his own contact of his wrists and forearms on Phil's shoulders and neck. He looked forward into Phil's eyes, and Phil looked back. Dan realized just how beautiful Phil's eyes were, a stormy blue today, grey and blue mixing together to create a pool that Dan found himself getting lost in.

Just then, Dan smelled burning and broke away quickly, grabbing the spatula and flipping the bacon which was slightly charred. Phil laughed a bit, embarrassed, and apologized, but Dan didn't mind.

"Who doesn't like extra crispy bacon?" He joked as Phil popped in some toast, and soon they were sitting at Phil's table, tucking into the meal.

"So..." Phil started, chewing his bite of toast and swallowing before he continued. "We have our first 'task' in calming down the people behind this whole thing. They want you at the library at one today. Want you to meet someone." Dan raised his eyebrows at this, nodding thoughtfully. 

"Okay... then we'll go to the library." 

"You want me to go with you?" Phil asked, and Dan raised his eyebrows at Phil's question. Did Phil really think Dan was going to let him leave his side for even a minute unless he absolutely  _had_ to? Phil was the only person Dan could trust, and he wasn't about to go off on his own. 

"Of course I want you to come with me, idiot." Dan chuckled, and Phil smiled. 

"Alright, I may have to keep a bit of distance depending on what their plan is for you and this new person, but I'll stay nearby." Dan smiled and held Phil's glance for a moment, thanking him with his eyes before turning back to his food. 

Phil began to do some dishes, and Dan took a shower and then put on a clean change of clothing Phil had offered him. He made his way out to the small backyard and began looking through flowers until one caught his eye.

It was a bright red flower, similar to a rose, but somehow softer. It also had a few long yellow stalks coming from the center, assuring Dan that this wasn't a rose. He didn't know exactly what made him stop at this one, but it just felt right, so he picked it and walked inside to see Phil finishing up the last of the dishes. Dan walked up behind him and tucked the flower behind his ear, startling Phil who jumped and spun around, but then laughed in relief when he saw it was Dan.

Phil reached up and pulled the flower from his hair, staring at it, with a slight blush creeping back into his cheeks.

"So... to the library?" Phil asked, beginning to walk out of the house, but Dan reached out to stop him, grabbing him by the wrist to turn him around. 

"Hey, what does the flower mean?" Phil's blush intensified as he tried to ward off the question.

"Oh, this one? I um... I don't remember." Phil was stumbling, and Dan grinned at his friend's discomfort.

"Bullshit. You know everything about flowers." Phil was now redder than the flower he held, as he looked up to Dan, sighing in defeat.

"This is a red Camellia. It means... 'You're a flame in my heart'." Dan nodded at the meaning, smiling a bit. It seemed to fit perfectly somehow. He decided not to overanalyze why, and just accept that it felt right and that he was happy he had chosen that particular flower today. Phil's expression relaxed when he saw Dan smile, and Dan began walking out of the house, followed quickly by his friend as they made their way towards the library, walking maybe just a bit closer together than necessary.

As they entered the library, Phil leaned into Dan's ear and whispered very quietly, "Smile, you're on camera." To which Dan shoved Phil with his elbow, laughing. It was 12:54 and he decided to pick out a book and go sit at a table and whoever they wanted him to meet would probably find him. 

He walked through the isles until he found himself in the 'Art' section, and picked up a book on techniques for drawing nature. He brought it with him to an empty table and opened it up, smiling at Phil who was just across the room, looking through the shelves. Dan caught his eye and Phil smiled back, reassuring Dan with this glance that he'd be nearby.

Dan began reading, and actually lost track of time, getting sucked into the world of art, when a girl sat down next to him. 

"That's beautiful, do you draw?" The girl asked, and Dan looked up to see a beautiful blonde girl with pink-tipped hair. Her eyes were round and she looked very lively. Dan had to stop and remind himself that she was only acting, as this girl just screamed friendliness and Dan automatically wanted to trust her.

"Yeah, I draw a bit. My friend asked me to design a few flower tattoos for him, so I figured I should do my research and make sure I draw them up nicely." The girl nodded, listening intently to everything he said.

"What's your name, artist boy?" She asked, and Dan fought the urge to roll his eyes. She knew his name. 

"Dan, you?" 

"Louise. I hope I can see something you've drawn someday." he nodded and laughed, allowing his face to spread into a smile. Her body language was clear, she was flirting with him, and he knew that currently his task was to go along with whatever was thrown at him. 

He flirted with her for a while, and she was nice and funny, but he knew it was all fake. After about five minutes, he noticed Phil over her shoulder, leafing through a book, and he stopped for a bit, smiling at his friend. He was so lucky to have Phil, what would he have done if Phil hadn't been around? He could have lived out his entire life and never known. As he watched Phil read, he noticed he was swaying his hips slightly side to side, probably humming a song to himself and it reminded Dan of that morning. Of Phil's hands on his waist, his around Phil's neck. Of how close they had been and of how blue he had come to realize Phil's eyes were. He had chosen a good flower for his friend all those days ago. The striped tulip that meant 'you have beautiful eyes'.

He smiled at the thought, but was pulled back to reality when he noticed Louise had noticed he wasn't looking at her anymore, and her gaze followed his to Phil. He immediately snapped his attention back to her, but it was too late and he apologized.

"Sorry, that's just my friend. He's the one who wants the tattoo, and I was just trying to think of how big I needed to make this one lily for his shoulder, sorry my brain trailed off."

"It's fine, Dan." She smiled, and there was a look of understanding in her eyes. She put her hand on his to reassure him, and even though he was aware that she had probably been sent to flirt with him, and this gesture should have been romantic in some way, it didn't feel like that at all. It felt like a gesture of reassurance and support, and he smiled. 

"Well, can I meet him?" She asked, and Dan nodded, waving Phil over who quickly put his book back and awkwardly walked up. Dan shook his head, smiling at his awkward friend. 

"Phil, Louise. Louise, Phil." They said hello to each other, and then the three of them chatted for about fifteen minutes. Louise was very funny, and Dan quickly forgot that she was an actor. It was easy for him to play the part of 'fine' for the cameras right now, and he was grateful that they had cast such a fun person for this part, it made it easier. He and Phil actually had to hold back from belly laughing at some of her jokes, because they _were_ in a library. 

Eventually, Louise said that she had to go, but that she hoped to see the two boys again soon, and they agreed quickly. Yes it was fake, but it was much more enjoyable than spending time with anyone else in this town outside the two of them, and she was certainly the lesser of the evils surrounding them. 

Dan and Phil hugged her goodbye, and then walked back to Phil's house, picking up some ice cream from a local shop along the way. When they were about a block from Phil's house, Dan saw him notice a small flower patch and lean down to pick a stalk of small hanging white flowers, handing them to Dan. 

"What are these?" Dan asked, smelling them. 

"Lilies of the valley. They represent a return to happiness. They can also be used to say 'you make my life complete'." Dan smiled, knowing Phil probably had just picked them for the first meaning. He was happy. Life had been awful for a bit, and it was still complicated and he was still angry with the world, but he had Phil and Phil made him happy. Somehow the rest of the world didn't seem to matter so much, so long as he remembered that. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when you're sick and end up staying in bed, writing five chapters in one day xD


	6. I Adore You

**B: You did well.**

**P: I know.**

**B: I don't know what you're doing, but keep it up. People are starting to come back.**

**P: I will keep it up, but not for any audience.**

**B: Louise is the new love interest. We want you to try to steer him in the right direction.**

**P: That wasn't part of our agreement. I'm not here to play your games. I'm here to keep him happy. I'll make sure he's where he needs to be, and out enough for you to get what you need, but I'm not messing with his mind. I'm here to keep it clear.**

**B: You're walking on thin ice....**

**P: You need me.**

 

**-**

 

Dan woke up alone. He had stayed at Phil's the night before. He didn't really  _need_ to, but he wanted to and Phil hadn't asked him to leave. Apparently it was a 'safe spot' where he wasn't watched, so he wasn't too keen on spending the night anywhere else. When Dan looked to the end table, he saw a fresh Azalea had replaced the one he'd crushed with his coffee mug the day before. There was another note under this one, though it was much longer than what he had woken up to before.

_Azalea - Take Care of Yourself For Me_

_I had to run by the flower shop to water the pots, can't have my plants dying on me :) There's coffee in the pot and cereal in the cabinet, and you can help yourself to anything else. I should be back around noon, but if I'm late it's just because I got held up at the shop. If you get the energy, you might want to make it to your house and freshen the place up a bit... there aren't cameras here and Louise wants to come have dinner with us soon. They're going to want it for the show, so she can't come to my place. Don't worry about it, though, we can take care of all that together when I get back if you like._

_Love, Phil_

The note made Dan smile, and he looked at the clock. 9:46. He had at least a little more than two hours until Phil would be returning... may as well make some food, get ready, and then head to his house to get started. God knows it needed work, he neglected it for over a month when he had thought Daisy was dead, and he hadn't returned since Phil had taken him away. 

Dan heated up some coffee and poured a bowl of cereal, changing into another outfit Phil had left out for him. Dan smiled. Phil was so thoughtful. He knew that a part of him should be mad at Phil for keeping this all a secret for so long, and an even bigger part of him knew he should be angry right now. Not at Phil, but at everything. He should be angry and stressed and freaking out, and part of him was. Part of him was on overdrive, but it was easily forgotten most of the time, because for the first time in his life, Dan was happy.

For the first time in his life, Dan had someone who treated him like an equal. He was so used to people treating him like he was superior, and he hated it. Phil would ask him about his day, but then continue to tell Dan about his own. Phil would disagree with Dan if they didn't share the same opinion. Phil was a ray of sunshine in Dan's life, and he couldn't find it in himself to worry about the world around him when Phil was there.

Why worry about the world when you have the sun?

This question stuck in Dan's brain, and he mulled it over for a while, allowing a shy smile to cover his face. Phil was the sun in his life. He made his way to the backyard and found the flower he was looking for, abandoning the decision to go to his house and instead carrying this flower to Phil's shop. He had something much more important to do now. 

When he walked through, the bell jingling, he saw Phil look up from behind the desk, surprised at first, but then happy when he saw it was Dan. 

"What are you doing here?" Phil asked, coming around the counter to give Dan a quick hug.

"I wanted to bring you this. And I don't know the meaning for this one, but I have something that it means to me and I'm hoping that I'm at least close."

"Okay?" Phil asked, looking at Dan with a small smile, awaiting Dan's explanation.

"Phil, you've saved me. You're the light in my life right now, and I just wanted to say thank you. You gave me a yellow tulip back when we first met to say there was sunshine in my smile. I gave you a daffodil which you told me meant 'the sun is always shining when I'm with you'. Now I want to give you this sunflower to tell you that you are the sun in my life, Phil. Not just in a smile, not just looking over us. You _are_ the sun." Dan handed the flower over to Phil, watching his face intently. He didn't know exactly what he was hoping would come from this little declaration, but he knew he was nervous for it, whatever it was.

Phil looked down at the flower in his hands, and Dan saw there were tears in his eyes. 

"Sunflowers represent adoration." Phil said quietly. "Adoration and... dedicated love." Phil's voice was thick as he looked up at Dan with tear-filled eyes.

"I do adore you, Phil." Dan said, before throwing all caution to the wind. 

He took a careful step forward, closing the gap between them. Slowly, he snaked his arms around Phil's neck and shoulders as he had done when they had danced. Phil followed his lead, placing his hands on Dan's waist, sunflower still dangling in his grip. Phil looked up at him with wide blue eyes, his expression twisted into a question of some sort. 

Dan didn't know what Phil's question was, but he knew he had no answer. He didn't know what was happening as he tilted his head forward a few inches to connect their lips. He heard and felt the sharp breath of air Phil took in through his nose in surprise at this contact, but then felt the older boy relax in his arms. They slowly began to move together, kissing softly, until finally Dan pulled away, staying close enough to keep his arms around Phil.

He looked up into Phil's eyes which were wide in surprise, and then felt as Phil let go of him and quickly rushed into another part of the shop. Dan was left speechless. Had he done something wrong? Had he just ruined the one good thing in his life? Why had he done that? All these thoughts began racing through his head and he was about to leave the shop, resigned to never seeing Phil again, before he saw Phil hurry back from the other room with a flower in his hand. 

This flower looked like a daffodil, except the outer petals were white, while the center collection stayed yellow.

"Jonquil." Phil explained, breathless. "It means 'your affection is returned'. Also it means... 'love me'." 

All of Dan's worries of moments earlier were washed away as he took Phil in his arms again, Phil placing his flowers down on the counter as they kissed. This kiss wasn't soft. This kiss was heated and passionate and Dan's hands were cupping Phil's cheeks where he felt sweat gathering in Phil's nervousness and the heat of summer, but Dan didn't care.

He kissed Phil as if he were drowning and Phil was a last breath of air, desperate to get everything he could out of it. 

He kissed Phil as if his whole life had been spent in darkness, and now he was finally seeing the sun.

When they finally broke apart, they were both wide eyed and breathless.

"So... where did that come from?" Phil squeaked, a blush rising to cover his entire face.

"I don't know. It just... felt right. Wow, Phil... I've never kissed anyone like that before." Phil raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"But... you had a fiancé." 

"Did you ever see more than a peck between us?" Dan asked, knowing that the entire world had seen everything he and Daisy had ever done.

"No... I suppose I just assumed that they cut out the more heated parts. Wow... so that was your first real kiss?" Dan nodded, eyes still wide, smiling. "Well..." Phil began, allowing a more confident smirk to cross his face, tucking a bit of hair behind Dan's ear. "I'm a good teacher." Dan chuckled and leaned his head up to kiss Phil again, breaking apart after a moment so he could sit down. His head was spinning.

"Wow... I did not think that this was where today was going." Dan laughed a bit, and Phil chuckled too.

"Me either. You look cute in my shirt." Dan looked down at the plaid blue and green shirt he wore, and smiled. 

"It matches your eyes. WAIT!" Dan shouted, an idea coming over him. He raced through the shop until he found what he was looking for, and walked up to Phil, head held high in pride. He made a big show of handing Phil the white and red tulip, extremely proud of himself for remembering the meaning.

"You have beautiful eyes." Dan said as he handed over the flower, being rewarded by a blush and a nervous chuckle from Phil, his tongue sticking between his teeth.

"You really rehearsed that one, didn't you?" Phil teased, and Dan elbowed him.

"So... what is this?" Dan asked after a moment. It felt natural to be this way with Phil, but he was realizing that this probably wasn't something they could do everywhere. Not with the cameras. Not with Louise being the one he was _supposed_ to be with.

"I don't know, but I like it. We'll have to be careful, of course... but I would like this to be something real." Dan smiled, nodding.

"Alright...  _boyfriend_." He chuckled, pulling Phil into a hug. He was surprised that this all came so naturally. He'd never seen two boys or two girls together, never really thought about it, but with Phil it felt right.

"Is this a normal thing?" He asked into Phil's shoulder.

"In the real world, yes. Unfortunately there are some in the real world who look down on it, and they just happen to be the audience for this show, so the creators of this show made sure to not have any gay people." Dan raised an eyebrow at this word. "Girls who like girls or boys who like boys." Phil clarified, and Dan nodded.

"Well that's stupid." 

"You're telling me." 

Dan sat on a box in the shop as Phil made his rounds tending to his plants, stopping by Dan every once in a while to give him a kiss on the forehead. Dan got a piece of paper and a pencil from Phil, and began to sketch out some flowers. 

Hours passed, long after noon, and eventually Phil was done and the two boys walked to Dan's house, careful not to touch each other too much once they were outside the safety of the flower shop. They cleaned up his house, and Phil put a bouquet he had brought from the shop on the table. They made sure to keep the flirting to a minimum, but it was hard. It was just so natural with Phil. Dan didn't feel like his life had just taken a leap so much as he felt as if all the puzzle pieces had just finally shifted into place. 

Dan watched as Phil pulled an earpiece out of his pocket, raising his eyebrows, but then realizing he probably kept one outside of his house and the flower shop, the two safe spots in town, so that he could contact people outside. Phil punched a number into the remote and then held the piece up to his ear. 

"Hey, Louise! You want to come over and have dinner with Dan and I? Yeah. Alright. Sounds good, we'll see you at seven!"

Phil hung up and put the piece back in his pocket. 

"Alright, I'm not even gonna ask what food you have in the house, let's run to the store and pick some stuff up to make a quick meal." Phil suggested, and Dan sighed in relief, because Phil was right, he had no food in the house. They went to the store and picked things up to make burritos. It'd be simple and quick, but tasty. 

They got back to Dan's house, and Dan had to resist pulling Phil in to dance with him like they had in Phil's kitchen before. Instead, they just made the food, talking about inconsequential things like flowers or the weather, but it didn't matter because Phil was easy for Dan to talk to, and he was happy.

Louise came over and they ate dinner, laughing and genuinely enjoying themselves. Dan noticed that she flirted with him slightly less, and he played into it less. He decided he would match her, but do no more, and any time he said anything that he deemed as flirting, he'd be sure to flash Phil a look afterwards to say 'you're the only one I want to be with'. Phil would smile back, and when Dan looked back around he would see that Louise was grinning as well. 

When dinner was over, Louise got up and helped wash up. Dan and Phil planned on allowing her to leave and then walking back to Phil's, but she seemed to have other plans. 

"So, boys, I've seen one of your houses, what do you say we head to Phil's and end the night on a high note?" She asked, pulling a bottle of wine out of her purse. 

"Oh, I don't know... it'd probably just be a waste of time..." Phil started, unsure of how to convey to Louise that his house was a dead zone, and that there was no point of her coming over because it wouldn't be aired. 

"Oh, no! I insist!" Dan sighed and nodded. She could come over and they'd drink a bit and then she'd be on her way. 

They walked to Phil's house, Louise chattering on about how she wanted a pet but couldn't decide on a dog or cat. 

"Dog." both Dan and Phil said in unison, and then looked at each other and laughed. They made their way to the house, and Dan noticed Phil leave his earpiece outside in a slot under his mailbox. 

When they entered the house, Phil took out some glasses which Louise filled with wine, and they sat around the table. Conversation was light, and Dan didn't mind too much that Louise was here, even though he would prefer to be alone with his new boyfriend. After a few minutes, Louise began to twitch her head to the side.

"Is everything okay?" Dan asked, and Louise took her earpiece out, rubbing the front of it, scratching the microphone with her nail.

"I don't know there's some sort of weird static, I think it's broken." She began fiddling with it, and then it slipped out of her fingers and right into her glass of wine. 

"Oh!" Phil exclaimed as he tried to reach out to help, but he was far too slow.

"Now we can talk." Louise said, and her voice had taken on a new tone.

"What?" Dan asked, looking at Phil, confused.

"Do you really think you two are that subtle? Congratulations. Or get the fuck together. Whichever is appropriate." Dan felt his cheeks turning red as he watched Phil's do the same.

"I used to be head of security for this whole thing, so I know it inside and out. I've never agreed with it, and I needed a job, but now I have enough money and it's time to get you out of here, Dan." Dan was in shock. He simply nodded, trying to wrap his head around this. So that's why she'd wanted to come to Phil's. She must have known there were no cameras here.

"At 4am tonight people will be switching shifts. I have a few friends who agree that this is all messed up, and they're going to help. There's going to be a blackout at 4, and the cameras will all switch off. You'll have about twenty minutes before they'll come back on, and in that time you're going to take a paddleboat we have out of the bay. Once you're out of the bay, go right and you'll end up at a city." she pulled out a map of the town, and pointed to a spot on the shore, a ways away from the docks. 

"The boat is here. Stay away from the dock, there'll be people there. Once you're in the boat, row as fast as you can."

Dan and Phil nodded, and Dan managed to get out a sputtered, "th... thank you." 

"Be careful." Louise warned. "Even when you do get out, you'll have to keep a low profile. People know you, Dan, and you'll have to go into hiding for a while probably. But at least you won't be stuck here. 

The next few hours were spent packing the very minimum that Dan and Phil might need to bring with them into a few small backpacks, and then waiting. So much waiting. Louise had left, knowing that the cameras would be waiting outside and if she stayed too long they'd get suspicious, but she assured them that everything should be fine if they just waited to get into the boat until 4am. 

Finally, it was 3:30. Dan and Phil quietly left their house with their backpacks. They made sure to have a few snacks and a water bottle on them, so if anyone asked they could say that neither could sleep and they went out for a late night picnic. They stuck to the shadows and slipped through town, hovering in the tree line by the beach where they saw a small paddleboat waiting for them.

Dan looked down at a watch he had brought - he didn't usually use them but he knew he'd need one now - and saw it click over from 3:59 to 4:00. Just then he heard a small mechanical clicking noise from around him, and realized that must have been the cameras shutting off. Dan pulled Phil in for a very quick peck and then grabbed his wrist and sprinted down the beach towards the boat. They threw their things in and pushed off, rowing hard.

Twenty minutes was a short amount of time to be able to make it all the way out of this bay, and neither Dan nor Phil were the most physically fit people you'd ever meet. They gave it all they had, and they were moving fairly quickly. Soon, Dan realized that they were closer to the entrance of the bay than they were to the shore they started on, and that gave him hope. He glanced at his watch and read 4:13, and that hope quickly turned into stress. His arms were burning and he knew Phil's were as well.

"Come on, Phil. Just a little ways to go." Dan encouraged, yanking the oars to propel the boat faster. Finally, they were close to the entrance. There was a lighthouse there, and Dan knew that there would probably be guards. He just hoped they could be fast enough. The light from the lighthouse was out, along with all the lights in the town, and Dan figured that this had been part of the shutdown along with the cameras. He was grateful for the dark now, able to move undetected, but it was 4:18 now and they were only reaching the exit now, still having to turn and make it past the lighthouse.

They yanked the boat towards its right and began rowing along the coast towards whatever town was nearby just as the light from the lighthouse snapped on abruptly. Dan squinted for a moment blinded by the light that was pointed directly at him. He recovered soon, and began rowing even harder, even though his arms felt like jello. 

"Faster, Phil! We can make it! We're so close!" Dan didn't worry about yelling now, able to hear the voices from the lighthouse and knowing they'd already been spotted. They rowed fast, leaving the lighthouse in the distance, but Dan could see the motorboat coming towards them now. 

"Phil, we have to get out. Get to shore and run." Phil nodded and they crashed the paddleboat into the shore, hopping out with their bags and taking off into the tree line. They climbed the cliffs that surrounded the town, a simple slope from this angle, racing up the hill. Soon they found themselves in a sparse patch of woods overlooking a city and a train station. 

"There." Dan said, and Phil nodded. They made their way to the station and bought two tickets for the soonest departure, and Dan felt a surge of hope and relief rush through him as he saw that this train's destination was very far away. They boarded the train and sat on the nice plush seats as it left the station, watching the world fly by out of the window. 

Everything slowed down, and Dan realized they had made it. They got out.

Dan laced his fingers with Phil's, excited but also terrified of what was to come.

"So what now?" He asked, looking up at Phil.

"Now we make a life for ourselves. We stay out of public eye, and we be careful, but we live whatever life we want. Together." Dan smiled and nodded, resting his head on Phil's shoulder.

"And we get a dog." He added, feeling Phil's smile against his forehead as his boyfriend placed a comforting kiss there.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please leave thoughts below :) It's honestly one of the best feelings when people leave comments, even if they're critical. Thank you <3


	7. Epilogue - Why Worry About the World When You Have the Sun?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Epilogue

Dan gritted his teeth through the pain, holding as still as he could. He was almost there, just a few minutes more. Of course a few minutes actually meant nearly an hour at which point there were tears in Dan's eyes, but when he looked down to see the slightly raised flesh with the fresh ink scrawling out words on his arm, he knew it was worth it. 

Dan thanked the tattoo artist and gave him a generous tip, pulling his sleeve down to cover the fresh tattoo, then made his way to his backyard where he knew his husband would be waiting for him. 

Sure enough, Phil was sat in the backyard on a blanket, their boxer Rose laying next to him in the sunlight. 

Dan came up behind Phil and tackled him, pinning him onto his stomach, kissing his cheek. 

"I hate you!" Phil laughed, sitting up once Dan got off of him.

"I love you too." Dan responded, earning himself a kiss. 

"Phil you're so pale that the sun is literally reflecting off of you." Dan laughed, watching the scowl cross Phil's face.

"Oh, you think I should tan?" Phil asked, unbuttoning his shirt.

"I wouldn't complain." Dan responded, and watched as his husband pulled his shirt off, revealing his pale but beautiful skin. Phil smiled and laid down on his stomach, and Dan admired his back. 

Phil's back was a watercolor garden. Dan traced the flowers with his fingers, absentmindedly, as he remembered what each meant.

The flowers travelled from Phil's left hip all the way up to his right shoulder, and it was like a timeline. 

At the base there was the yellow Tulip. The first flower Phil had given Dan to tell him there was sunshine in his smile. A smile that appeared more often now than it ever had before. 

Moving up there was the white and red tulip that Dan had given Phil, saying 'your eyes are beautiful'. Then the white lilies Dan had picked meaning 'it's heavenly to be with you'. 

The daffodil was next, reminding Dan of the day on the boat, remembering Phil's smile as he explained how they said 'the sun is always shining when I'm with you'. 

Next were the mixed zinnias, and Dan had been a bit surprised when Phil had gotten these, since they were in 'remembrance' of Daisy, but Phil explained that it was still a big time in their lives and instead of representing a goodbye to Daisy's life, they were truly the mark of when Dan had said goodbye to his own life, learning that there was an entirely new one waiting for him. 

The zinnias were followed by the white heather, and Dan remembered the kindness in Phil's eyes when he had spoken their meaning, telling Dan 'I'll protect you'. He had, and he still did to this day, and Dan loved him so much for it.

An Azalea was next, and Dan loved this flower because Phil gave him these whenever Dan was feeling down or if Phil wasn't going to be around for the day. He always reminded Dan of what they said, 'Take care of yourself for me'. If Dan was having a hard day and couldn't bring himself to take care of himself for  _him_ , he could always snap out of it when he remembered he was doing it for the love of his life.

Next was a Viscaria, the small purple flower reminding Dan of he and Phil's dance in the kitchen after Phil recited the language behind this flower, meaning 'Will you dance with me?' He also remembered how Phil had given him a small bouquet of these at their wedding before their first dance, and how Dan had wrapped him up in his arms, never wanting to let Phil go as they swayed to the song Phil had hummed in the kitchen all those years back, 'You are my Sunshine'.

A small Camellia was next, and Dan laughed at how shy Phil had been to tell Dan the meaning behind this flower which said 'You're a flame in my heart'. Phil truly was a flame in Dan's heart. It had started out small, just a match, but now Dan was filled with a roaring blaze that he never wanted to quench. 

A small stalk of white hanging flowers came next, reminding Dan of when Phil had picked the stem after their first encounter with Louise, saying they represented 'a return to happiness' and said 'you make my life complete'. Dan remembered thinking that Phil had only meant the first half, but now he knew that they truly did complete each other. Lilies of the Valley had to be one of his favorites.

A large sunflower was next, and though all the other flowers held meaning to him, this was the most important. This was also the largest on Phil's back, and he smiled when he heard Phil hum as he traced the large yellow flower on Phil's back and shoulder blade. This sunflower represented the day he realized he was in love with this man.

A small Jonquil followed, representing Phil's acceptance of Dan's affections.

Next was a simple collection of roses, reminding Dan of the day they first told each other they were in love, and Phil had given him a red rose. 

Finally, there was a collection on Phil's shoulder of small white flowers with pointed petals and yellow stalks. Orange blossoms. The first time Dan had actually used the book Phil gave him all those years ago, looking up the meaning to find the perfect flower. When he found that orange blossoms represented 'Eternal love' and 'Happiness in Marriage', he knew they were the perfect bouquet to offer Phil when he got down on one knee. 

Dan traced these flowers, smiling.

"I love you." Phil mumbled into the blanket, and Dan knew he could tell which flowers Dan's fingers were tracing over. 

"Hey... you're not the only one with a mark now." Phil sat up, raising his eyebrows questioningly. 

Dan pulled up his sleeve, and watched as Phil read the elegant script contained between two delicate sunflowers. 

**_Why worry about the world when you have the sun?_ **

Phil looked up at Dan, confusion in his eyes.

"That was when I knew I loved you. I realized you were the sun in my life, and as that thought passed through my mind, I realized I was a goner. That was when I went out and found that sunflower."

Phil smiled, eyes squinting together in a touched expression. He got up and returned a moment later with a small plant, holding it above Dan's head. This was one plant that Dan  _did_ know the meaning to.

Dan grinned, and leaned in to kiss his husband under the mistletoe, knowing he had found his sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork inspired by this story: https://philtrash-number2.tumblr.com/image/166186703007


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